List of presidents of the House of Ariki

President of the House of Ariki
Te Kaumaiti Nui o te Are Ariki
Coat of arms of the Cook Islands
Incumbent Tou Travel Ariki since December 2008
Type	Presiding Officer
Member of	House of Ariki
Nominator	House of Ariki
Appointer	King's Representative
Term length	4 years, [1] renewable
Constituting instrument	Constitution of the Cook Islands [2] House of Ariki Act 1966 [1]
Formation	23 September 1966
First holder	Vakatini Tepo [3]

This is a list of presidents of the House of Ariki of the Cook Islands from 1978. ^[4]

Name	Entered office	Left office
Makea Karika Takau Margaret Ariki [5]	1978	1980
Pa Tepaeru Terito Ariki, Lady Davis [5]	1980	1990
Makea Karika Takau Margaret Ariki [5]	1990	1992
Pa Tepaeru Teariki Upokotini Marie Ariki [5]	1992	2002
Tou Travel Ariki [6]	2002	2006
Ada Rongomatane Ariki [5] [a]	2006	January 2008 [7]
Tou Travel Ariki	December 2008	Present [b]

Notes

1. Her full name is Rongomatane Ada Teaupurepure Tetupu Ariki
2. Most recently re-elected in September 2023. ^[8]

References

1. "House of Ariki Act 1966, section 11". cookislandslaws.gov.ck. Cook Islands Parliament . Retrieved 18 May 2025.
2. "The Constitution of the Cook Islands, section 11A(1)" (PDF). parliamentci.wpenginepowered.com. Cook Islands Parliament . Retrieved 18 May 2025.
3. "Niue, Cooks Take New Steps". Pacific Islands Monthly . Vol. 37, no. 10. Trove. 1 October 1966. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
4. Melina Etches (14 August 2019). "Tou Ariki re-elected head of chiefs". Cook Islands News. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
5. "Female Heads of the Parliament of Cook Islands". Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership. 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
6. Cook Island Government Online
7. "The Cook Islands mourn 'a people's Queen'". RNZ . 11 January 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
8. Etches, Melina (29 September 2023). "Tou Travel Ariki re-elected president of Te Are Ariki". Cook Islands News . Retrieved 18 May 2025.